Patterning mechanism for circular kntting machines



Oct. 3, 1967 A. P. SAUNDERS PATTERNING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 12, 1965 L 1967 A. P. SAUNDERS PATTERNING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 12, 1965 1957 A. P. SAUNDERS PATTERNING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 12, 1965 United States Patent 3,344 620 PATTERNING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Alfred P. Saunders, Kirby Muxloe, England, assignor t0 Wildt Mellor Bromley Limited, Leicester, England, a 5

British company Filed Apr. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 447,131 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 15, 1964,

15,568/ 64 4 Claims. (Cl. 66-156) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLDSURE Patterning mechanism for selecting elements in a circular knitting machine. This includes selectively operable selector members which infiuence said elements and are rendered operable by pins projecting from selected This invention relates to circular knitting machines having stitch forming or looping elements requiring to be selectively controlled for producing patterning effects in knitted fabrics and is concerned with patterning mechanism for such machines and of the class having a selective action upon the elements to be controlled.

The invention is concerned with patterning mechanism of this class and of the kind including a patterning drum driven about its axis and furnished at pre-arranged locations with pins or the equivalent and arranged to selectively actuate intermediate members which act selectively upon the elements to be controlled.

One known form of patterning mechanism comprises a stack of slides or pivoted levers constituting the intermediate members and movable individually towards and away from the elements for selective action thereupon whereby the latter are rendered operative and inoperative; and a rotary patterning drum, as described above, for moving the carriers in a predetermined manner, whereby the corresponding rotary members are brought into and out of action in accordance with patterning requirements. The patterning drum is formed with a regular series of identical radial holes, the pins or the equivalent being inserted into selected ones thereof and projected radially from the drum.

The pins or the equivalent are not positively held in the selected holes and the drum is surrounded by a partcylindrical shroud concentrically arranged with respect to the drum. As the drum rotates within the shroud the pins slide along the internal surface of the shroud and are prevented from moving radially out of the drum. The shroud i cut away at one side so that the pins can act upon the intermediate members to be selected thereby.

This conventional arrangement has certain disadvantages. It is frequently required to change the patterning sequences by changing the disposition of pins or the equivalent upon the drum. In doing so the shroud has to be removed. The drum, with the new arrangement of pins or the equivalent, has to be placed on the machine without the shroud which i then applied to the drum. During the movement of the drum without the shroud the pins are likely to fall out of their selected holes in the drum.

Another disadvantage of conventional patterning mechanism of the kind concerned is that the drum, which is usually disposed with its axis vertical, is mounted on a support located upon a base by means of an upstanding spigot entering a recess formed in the underside of the support, the latter being retained in position by a screwthreaded bolt passing therethrough and entering a complementary hole in the spigot-forming portion of the base. The disadvantage of this arrangement is that, in order to remove the patterning drum from its base, for example, to permit the disposition of the pins to be changed, the drum must be moved axially. However, before the patterning drum can be removed from its mounting all of the intermediate members have to be pressed back against the spring action.

The aim of the present invention is to provide general improvements in patterning mechanism of the kind concerned.

In accordance with the present invention in patterning mechanism of the kind concerned the patterning drum is equipped at predetermined locations with radially extending patterning pins each of which is formed, in the section located within the drum, with a groove or recess and the drum is provided with a plurality of locking members extending in an annular series about the axis of the drum and each extending parallel to the axis of the drum into the groove or recess of an adjacent radial pin in the drum, whereby the said pins are normally held upon the drum, but can be released for removal from the drum as a result, as in one arrangement, of either axial movement of the locking members or, as in another arrangement, of angular movement of the locking members.

All of the patterning pins located upon the drum are normally positively retained upon the drum by means of the locking members and the need for the provision of a cylindrical shroud is obviated.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, designed to facilitate easy detachment of the patterning mechanism from the knitting machine, the drum is mounted "on a support in the form of a coaxial internal core formed at its lower end with a socket and adapted to be secured upon a base by means of a screw-threaded bolt extending coaxially through the core and engaged in a screw-tapped block or nut which is located in a bore formed in the base and has a limited axial movement relatively to the base and the upper portion of which forms a spigot adapted to be received within the socket in the core whereby when the drum is to be detached, by unscrewing the screw-threaded bolt the nut can be withdrawn downwardly to bring the upper spigot-forming portion thereof below the level of the upper face of the base, and the drum and the core can be withdrawn laterally from the base.

Thus, the drum does not have tobe moved vertically, i.e. axially, during detachment from the base and can be moved laterally in a direction away from the intermediate members without interfering with the latter.

Specific constructional examples of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of part of a circular knitting machine at a patterning element selecting station and of one form of patterning mechanism located at said station.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a part sectional detail plan view corresponding to FIGURE 2, but on a larger scale, showing the manner in which the locking members retain the pins within the patterning drum.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view, corresponding to FIGURE 1, showing an alternative form of patterning mechanism having different locking members, and,

FIGURE is a part sectional detail plan view, corresponding to FIGURE 3, of the patterning mechanism shown in FIGURE 4, but on a larger scale than the latter. A portion of the needle cylinder of the machine is indicated at 1 (FIGURE 1), and one of a series of needleactuating jacks beneath the needles (not shown) in the grooves 2 of this cylinder is indicated at 3. Each jack 3 is provided with an extension 3a which, when permitted, moves outwardly under the influence of a cam (not shown) whereby the jack and the corresponding needle are raised, in a known manner to be described. A jack presser 6 is mounted in front of, and in the same groove as, each jack 3 for operating the latter. Whenever jacks 3 are to remain down and not raise corresponding needles, the relevant jack pressers are moved out of the grooves 2. The lower end of each jack presser engages a jack raising cam 7. The inner edge of each jack presser 6 has an upper shoulder 6a and a lower shoulder 6b against one or the other of which the lower end of the extension 311 of a jack abuts, depending upon the selection of the jack by cam means (not shown). The outer edge of each jack presser is furnished with patterning butts 6c disposed at different heights.

The patterning mechanism comprises a vertically disposed rotary patterning drum 8 furnished with a plurality of radially extending pins, indicated generally at 9, a stack of superimposed slides 10, interposed between the drum 8 and the needle cylinder 1 and slidable individually upon supports (not shown) under the control of the patterning drum 8, towards and away from the jack pressers 6 whereby the latter are selectively rendered operative and inoperative. In FIGURE 1, the topmost and bottommost slides are forwardly disposed and intermediate slides are in their rear, inoperative positions. The cam 7 operates on the jack pressers, and hence upon the jacks, at the position in the cam system prior to reselection. Where a slide is pressed forwardly by a pin 9 upon the drum the relevant jack presser is pressed into the groove and rendered inoperative. Where a slide 10 is left due to the absence of a pin the relevant jack presser is left in its outer, operative position.

The patterning drum 8 is formed with regularly arranged identical circular radially-extending holes 811, i.e. rows, extending parallel to the axis of the patterning drum, of regularly spaced holes 8a, the rows being regularly spaced angularly about the axis of the drum. The drum has its upper and lower ends internal annular flanges 8b and 8c and is mounted, and secured by screws 17, upon a cylindrical sleeve 16 of an external diameter conforming to the internal diameter of the flanges 8b, 8c, and mounted for rotation upon a core 18 which is of reduced diameter at 18a intermediate its upper and lower ends. The core, the sleeve and the drum rest upon the upper face of the base 13. The core is rigidly but detachably secured to the base by means of a central screw-threaded bolt 19 extending through the core. The head of the bolt 19 retains upon the upper end of the sleeve 16 a coaxial disc 20, a clearance being provided between the core and the disc to allow the drum 8 and the sleeve 16 to rotate relatively thereto. The peripheral portion of the upper face of the disc is rebated and is formed with a concentric groove 20a. To the lower end of the drum is secured a ring 21 formed with ratchet teeth 21a (FIGURES 1 and 2) whereby the drum and the sleeve are racked round in timed relation with the operation of the machine by mechanism including a pawl 22 (FIGURE 2).

Identical pins 9 are mounted in selected ones of the radial holes 8a in the drum 8 in dispositions determined by patterning requirements, the pins being of a diameter which is a sliding fit within the holes and of such length that, when in its fully inserted position with its inner end abutting the sleeve 16 and outer end section of the pin extends from the periphery of the drum for actuating relevant ones of the discs 10. Each pin 9 is formed adjacent its inner end with an annular relatively wide shallow groove 9a of part-circular cross section, so located that, when the pin is in its fully inserted position, the groove is located intermediate the exterior surface of the sleeve 16 and the internal surface of the drum 8.

Each of the upper and lower flanges 8b, 8c of the drum is formed with a concentric annular series of holes, aligned with one another and the common axis of each pair of aligned holes extending parallel to the axis of the drum and disposed intermediate adjacent pairs of axially extending rows of the holes in the drum intermediate the external surface of the sleeve and the internal surface of the drum.

Located in each pair of holes in the upper and lower flanges of the drum is a rod 24 of initially circular section formed at diametrally opposite locations with parallel flats 24a extending along the length of the rod in planes parallel to the axis so that the rod is of constant section. The diameter i.e. the maximum cross-section of each rod is such that in its locking position (as shown in FIGURE 3), the curved portions of the section fit into the grooves in pins disposed in holes in the two adjacent rows of holes straddling the rod 24 whereby the pins are prevented from moving radially out of the drum. By turning the rod 24 about its axis, so as to take the curved portions of its section out of the grooves 911 and bring the flats 24a intermediate the pins, the latter can be withdrawn radially from the drum. No axial movement of the rod 24 is required to release the pins.

The upper end section of each rod protrudes upwardly above the drum and is curved over to provide a depending portion 25 extending into the groove 20a in the disc 20. The groove is of such width that each rod 24 can be turned, with the portion 25 therein through an angular distance sufficient to take the curved portions of the section of the rod 24 into and out of alignment with the grooves 9a in the pins 9 in the adjacent rows of holes 8a. The planes containing the flats 24a are disposed at opposite sides of the central plane containing the portion 25. Thus, the unlocking position of the rod 24 is the one in which the said central plane is disposed substantially radially of the drum. The rods 24 are retained in the locking position by a coaxial ring 26 applied to the disc 20 and partially covering the ggoove 20a and detachably retained by a thumb screw 2 Where the disposition of the pins 9 is to be changed, i.e. where the same pins are to be disposed in different positions, or some of the pins are to be removed or additional pins are to be added, the existing pins 9 are released and insertion of pins is permitted by unscrewing the thumb screw 27, removing the ring 26 and, with the finger, flicking the portions 25 of the rods 24 into their radial unlocking positions. The width of the groove is such that the rods cannot be turned completely into or beyond the radial position and are located by abutment with the inner wall defining the groove 20a.

The alternative example of patterning mechanism depicted in FIGURES 4 and 5 is identical to that described with reference to FIGURES 1 to 3 but difi'ers in the form of the locking means. Thus the disc 20 corresponding to the disc 20 in FIGURES 1 to 3, is of constant thickness and is not formed with a groove, and no locking ring, corresponding to 26, is provided. Each of the locking members 24 corresponding to the locking members 24, is of constant circular cross section with no plates and fits into the grooves 9a of the pins 9 like the curved portions of the section of the rod 24 to lock the pins upon the drum 8. No curved portions corresponding to the portions 25 are provided.

When the disposition of the pins 9 is to be changed the rods 24' are withdrawn axially and upwardly from the drum and re-inserted to lock the pins in the new disposition.

In order that the drum shown in FIGURE 1 is detachably mounted upon the base 13, the core 18 is counterbored at its lower end to provide a cylindrical socket 18b. The base 13 is formed with a central vertical bore, the upper portion 13a of which is of a diameter less than the core and the lower end portion 13b of which is counterbored. Mounted within this bore is a complementary block 28 comprising a narrow portion 28a slidable within, and of greater axial length than, the upper portion of the bore and a Wide portion 28b slidable within the enlarged portion of the bore and of shorter length than the counterbore 13b. The block 28 has a central screw-tapped bore 28c and constitutes a nut for engagement with the bolt 19. To prevent the nut 28 from rotating it has adjacent its periphery a bore engaged upon a rod 29 the upper end 29a of which is reduced, screwthreaded and engaged in a tapped hole in the base. The lower end of the rod has an enlarged head 29b. The screw permits the requisite vertical movement of the nut 28. In attaching the drum assembly, i.e. drum '8, sleeve 16 is tightened, raising the nut 28 so that the narrow upper portion thereof extends up through the bore and constitutes a spigot entering the socket 18b in the core, the bolt 19 being tightened until the wide portion 28b of the nut abuts against the shoulder formed at the junction of the bore and the counterbore inthe base.

All that is necessary to detach the drum assembly from the base is to unscrew the bolt 19 so that the nut 28 is allowed to fall until its upper portion is located below the level of the upper face of the base 13. When the bolt 19 has been withdrawn vertically, the drum assembly can be removed laterally in a direction away from the bank of slides without any vertical movement of the drum assembly and interference with the discs 10 being necessary.

I claim:

1. For application to a circular knitting machine having a cylinder and selectable patterning elements in said cylinder, a patterning mechanism comprising a bank of individually movable selector members selectively operable for the purpose of influencing selection of said patterning elements, a rotary patterning drum formed with rows, extending parallel to the axis of the drum, of regularly spaced radial holes regularly spaced angularly about the axis of the drum, pins located in selected ones of said holes in said drum and projecting radially therefrom for selectively rendering operative said selector members, the portion of each of said pins within the drum being formed with a groove, and a plurality of identical locking members each of non-circular cross section extending in an annular series about and parallel to the axis of the drum, the locking members extending intermediate and for the full length of adjacent pairs of rows of holes, each locking member normally extending intothe grooves in, and retaining, pins in any of said holes in said adjacent rows of holes, and each of the locking members being turnable about its axis, whereby all of said pins are normally held within the drum but can be released for removal from the drum as a result of angular turning movement of the locking members about their axes.

2. A patterning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein each of the pins is formed, in said portion, with an annular groove of shallow part-circular cross section and each of the locking members is of initially circular cross section of a diameter to be partially received within the said grooves but is formed with at least one flat extending along the length of the locking member in a plane parallel to its axis.

3. For application to a circular knitting machine having a cylinder and selectable patterning elements in said cylinder, a patterning mechanism comprising a bank of individually movable selector members selectively operable for the purpose of influencing selection of said patterning elements, a rotary patterning drum formed with rows, extending parallel to the axis of the drum, of regularly spaced radial holes regularly spaced angularly about the axis of the drum, the drum also being provided with two internal annular flanges located adjacent its upper and lower ends, which are formed with appropriate annular series of holes extending parallel to the axis of the drum, the holes in the two flanges being aligned with one another, and their common axis extending intermediate adjacent pairs of rows of said radial holes, pins located in selected ones of said radial holes in said drum and projecting radially therefrom for selectively rendering operative said discs, the portion of each of said pins within the drum being formed with an annular groove of shallow part-circular cross section, and a plurality of locking members extending in annular series about and parallel to the axis of the drum in pairs of aligned holes in said flanges, each of the locking members being of initially circular cross section but formed at diametrally opposite locations with flats extending along the length parallel to the axis thereof, whereby in one orientation of each locking member about its axis the curved portions of the section of the locking member extend into the grooves in, and retain in the drum, any of said pins in holes of said adjacent rows, but by turning each locking member into an orientation in which the flats are located adjacent pins in said holes of said adjacent rows said pins are released and can be withdrawn radially from the drum.

4. For application to a circular knitting machine having a cylinder and selectable patterning elements in said cylinder, a patterning mechanism comprising a bank of individually movable selector members selectively operable for the purpose of influencing selection of said patterning elements, a rotary patterning drum formed with rows, extending parallel to the axis of the drum, of regularly spaced radial holes regularly spaced angularly about the axis of the drum, the drum also being provided with two internal annular flanges located adjacent its upper and lower ends, which are formed with appropriate annular series of holes extending parallel to the axis of the drum, the holes in the two flanges being aligned with one another, and their common axis extending intermediate adjacent pairs of rows of said radial holes, the drum also being formed in one end with a concentric groove, pins located in selected ones of said radial holes in said drum and projecting radially therefrom for selectively rendering operative said selector members, the portion of each of said pins Within the drum being formed with an annular groove of shallow part-circular cross section, and a plurality of locking members extending in an annular series about and parallel to the axis of the drum and each extending parallel to the axis of the drum in pairs of aligned holes in said flanges each of the locking members being of initially circular cross-section but formed at diametrally opposite locations with flats extending along the length parallel to the axis thereof, each locking member having a portion extending beyond said grooved end of said drum and curved over so as to extend into said groove formed at said end of said drum, a concentric ring applied to said end of said drum and partially covering the groove in the drum whereby said locking members are usually retained in their orientations in which said curved portions of their cross sections extend into the grooves in the pins, the said pins are held within the drum but can be released for removal from the drum by removing said ring, turning the locking members angularly about their axes, as permitted by the width of said groove relatively to said portions therein, into different orientations to bring the flats of each locking member adjacent the relevant pins held thereby so that the latter are released and can be withdrawn radially from the drum.

(References on following page) References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Heath 66-156 X Larkin 66156 5 Deans et a1 66--50 Lombardi 66-50 8 2,536,133 1/1951 Klammer et a1 74568 3,006,174 10/1961 Haddad 66-156 FOREIGN PATENTS 268,738 10/1929 Italy.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

R. C. REYNOLDS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. FOR APPLICATION TO A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A CYLINDER AND SELECTABLE PATTERNING ELEMENTS IN SAID CYLINDER, A PATTERNING MECHANISM COMPRISING A BANK OF INDIVIDUALLY MOVABLE SELECTOR MEMBERS SELECTIVELY OPERABLE FOR THE PURPOSE OF INFLUENCING SELECTION OF SAID PATTERNING ELEMENTS, A ROTARY PATTERNING DRUM FORMED WITH ROWS, EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE DRUM, OF REGULARLY SPACED RADIAL HOLES REGULARLY SPACED ANGULARLY ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE DRUM, PINS LOCATED IN SELECTED ONES OF SAID HOLES IN SAID DRUM AND PROJECTING RADIALLY THEREFROM FOR SELECTIVELY RENDERING OPERATIVE SAID SELECTOR MEMBERS, THE PORTION OF EACH OF SAID PINS WITHIN THE DRUM BEING FORMED WITH A GROOVE, AND A PLURALITY OF IDENTICAL LOCKING MEMBERS EACH OF NON-CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION EXTENDING IN AN ANNULAR SERIES ABOUT AND PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE DRUM, THE LOCKING MEMBERS EXTENDING INTERMEDIATE AND FOR THE FULL LENGTH OF ADJACENT PAIRS OF ROWS OF HOLES, EACH LOCKING MEMBER NORMALLY EXTENDING INTO THE GROOVES IN, AND RETAINING, PINS IN ANY OF SAID HOLES IN SAID ADJACENT ROWS OF HOLES, AND EACH OF THE LOCKING MEMBERS BEING TURNABLE ABOUT ITS AXIS, WHEREBY ALL OF SAID PINS ARE NORMALLY HELD WITHIN THE DRUM BUT CAN BE RELEASED FOR REMOVAL FROM THE DRUM AS A RESULT OF ANGULAR TURNING MOVEMENT OF THE LOCKING MEMBERS ABOUT THEIR AXES. 